Needle or stylus



- I v INVENTOR. l 9 Magma A? M M BY G. E. BERNECKER.

NEEDLE 0R STYLUS. APPLICATION FILED AUG, 18. 1919.

1,408,337, Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

WITNESS A TTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. BERNECKER, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO STANDARDACCESSORY CORPORATION, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION 01*WISCONSIN.

NEEDLE OR STYLUS.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

Application filed August 18, 1919. Serial No. 318,292.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E.- BERNEGKER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and Stateof Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Needles orStyli,

of which thefollowing is a description, reference being had to theaccompanymg drawings, which are a part of this specification.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inneedles or styli for use in connection with sound boxes of graphophonesor gramophones, and has for its primary object to provide a needle orstylus which can beused with the least possible wear either upon theneedle or upon the record and which can be so shifted as to modify thecharacter or quality of the tone proudced as the groove of the record isbrought into contact with the end of the needle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a needle or stylusof the class described which is provided with a reduced flattenedportion medially of its ends and centrally of the needle with respect toits longitudinal axis.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a needle orstylus of the class described which may be either cast, milled orstamped whereby to provide what may be commonly termed a permanentneedle or stylus capable of producing tones of various qualities.

lVith the above and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, my invention resides in the novel construction,combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafterdescribed and more particularly defined by the appended claim, it beingunderstood that such changes in the precise embodiment of thehereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of theclaim.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated one complete example ofthe physical embodiment of my invention constructed according to thebest mode I'have so far devised for the practical application of theprinciplesthereof, and in which:

' Fig. 1 is a side view of the needle or- Referring now moreparticularly to the accompanying drawing, 5 designates the shank of aneedle or stylus which is preferably cylindrical in cross section andadapted to be received in the usual sound box holder, not shown. Thelower end 6 of the needle or stylus is rounded as illustrated in thedrawings and has projecting therefrom a point 7 for engagement in thegrooves of the record being played to receive and transmit vibrationscaused by the irregularities in the sides of the grooves to the soundbox (not shown) of the machine with which it is employed.

The needle shank has milled or otherwise formed in opposite sidesthereof medially of its ends recesses 8 forming therebetween a reducedflattened portion 9 which is centrally located with respect to thelongitudinal axis of the needle when viewed edgewise, and which forms acontinuation of the sides of the needle when viewed sidewise. As clearlyshown in the drawings, the reduced flattened portion 9 is spaced asufficient distance from the rounded needle or stylus end 6 to provide asubstantial weight between it and the point 7 to render the same readilysusceptible to vibrations imparted thereto by the irregularities in thesides of the record groove. I am aware that needles or styli have beenformed with a flattened or reduced portion adjacent the point, but thisstructure has proven unsatisfactory in that the same does not respondreadily to the vibrations received by the needle point and consequently,the main advantage supposed to be obtained by this flattened or reducedportion is lost.

When the needle is set in the position depicted in Figure 1, i. e., withthe flattened portion 9 in line with the grooves of the record beingplayed, a soft or subdued tone is produced in that this flattenedportion being thinner than the needle shank proper is resilient andyielding and to a certain extent takes up the vibrations so that theyare transmitted to the diaphragm of the sound box less forcibly thanwhen the needle is set with the flattened portion 9 arrangedtransversely with respect to V the record grooves. hen the needle is setin such a position, that is, transversely with respect to the grooves ofthe record, the flattened portion adds to the rigidity of the needle asregards any lateral movement and thus a loud or full tone is produced inthat the vibrations will be forcibly imparted to the diaphragm asreceived by the needle.

The needle may be formed by milling the recesses 8 or the same may becast, the principle being the same, and in either case, the needle beingwhat is commonly termed in the art a permanent needle,'i. e., one whichmay be played fifty to one hundred times.

What I claim as my invention is: As an article of manufacture, a stylusfor sound reproducing machines, comprising a one piece body memberincluding a shank portion'and an end portion of substantially.

GEORGE E. BERNEGKER.

